A fisherman and his wife lived in a small shack by the ocean. They were very poor and unhappy, especially the wife, who was always complaining.
“Why can’t we have a nice house like our neighbors? What bad luck! We are so unfortunate!” She was miserable indeed.
One day, the husband was fishing when he felt a tremendous tug on his line. He reeled in a huge silver fish! “Wow! This will feed us for days!”
Much to his surprise, the fish replied, “Please don’t eat me! I’m really a prince, and a magic spell has been cast on me. Let me go!”
The astonished fisherman quickly threw him back, exclaiming, “I don’t want to hurt a talking fish! Go on!”
When he talked with his wife at home about what had happened, she scolded him angrily. “Why didn’t you ask the magical fish for something in return for your mercy? You just let him go?”
The fisherman went back the next day and called out to the fish, “Come back and grant my wife’s wish or she’ll make me sleep in the barn with the animals!”
The fish really was once a prince, and he had good manners. Knowing that it is noble to return a favor, he appeared and spoke to the man: “Go home. Your wife’s wish is already granted.”
He went home and as was promised, a new cottage stood in place of the little shack. This house was charming, and the fisherman was very pleased with their good fortune.
“I am so grateful that the fish did this for us! We are so lucky!” he told his wife.
She was happy, too, for a few days, but then she started complaining again. “You know, husband, this cottage isn’t big enough for my taste. Go back and ask the fish for a castle,” she ordered.
The fisherman didn't want to. He liked their new home, and he was afraid the magic fish would cast a spell on him if he asked for more. However, he was more afraid of his wife’s anger than he was of the fish, so he went on out to the sea and called out to the fish. Again the fish prince was willing to grant the wife’s wish, and the fisherman returned home to a castle!
He crossed the drawbridge and was greeted by his wife. “Are you satisfied now, dear wife?” he asked timidly.
The wife was happy for one day; then she told her husband over dinner the next evening, “I’m not satisfied. Tomorrow, I want you to ask the fish to make me into a queen to rule over the region!”
The poor fisherman was trembling in his boots! “Surely this will bring bad luck to us,” he thought, as he walked reluctantly down the path that led to the sea. As he went along, he noticed that the sky grew dark and stormy, and the sea was turbulent. “A bad sign, a bad sign,” he moaned.
The request was made and granted again. He returned home to find soldiers guarding the castle and his wife wearing a gold crown as Queen. How he secretly wished they could be living in their poor little shack again!
Well, the greedy wife still wasn't satisfied. “I want to be Empress and rule over all the kingdoms!” she declared.
Do you think this wish was granted, too? Yes, it was! The husband obediently followed orders, and the fish agreed to make her Empress.
“What more could she possibly want?” worried the fisherman.
In the middle of the night. she was pacing back and forth. Suddenly she exclaimed, “I’ll be lord of the universe! I’ll make the sun rise and set when I want it to! Why not? No one will be more powerful than me!”
And so the husband set out once again to make the new request. As he came to the sea, though it was early morning, the sky grew dark as night, all purple and black. Thunder boomed, and lightning flashed. A violent storm created huge waves that sprayed the frightened fisherman as he spoke to the fish. “My wife now wants to be lord of the universe, oh prince!”
The fish replied, “Your wife will never be satisfied, even if I grant that request. She is too greedy. Go back to your shack now and help her appreciate what she has."
And so they lived the rest of their years in the poor little shack by the sea.
Moral
Greed is never satisfied.
Questions
1. What happened in the beginning of the story that surprised the fisherman?
2. Why did the wife get mad at her husband when he told her about the talking fish?
3. Why did she keep asking her husband to go back to the fish?
4. What happened at the end of the story?
5. How was this wife different from the wife in "The Shoemaker and the Elves?"
Reflection Exercise
The fisherman's wife wasn’t grateful for what she had. She was very greedy. Gratitude is the opposite of greed. It’s important to remember to be grateful for what we have. What in your life are you grateful for? Take turns and tell your teacher and classmates. From Discovering the Real Me, Book 4: The Heart of Goodness. For book orders click here.
Comments
Share your experiences by clicking on the "Discussion" box at the top of this page and then clicking on "+ New Post." Your comments will appear below.
Story
Table of Contents
“Why can’t we have a nice house like our neighbors? What bad luck! We are so unfortunate!” She was miserable indeed.
Much to his surprise, the fish replied, “Please don’t eat me! I’m really a prince, and a magic spell has been cast on me. Let me go!”
The astonished fisherman quickly threw him back, exclaiming, “I don’t want to hurt a talking fish! Go on!”
When he talked with his wife at home about what had happened, she scolded him angrily. “Why didn’t you ask the magical fish for something in return for your mercy? You just let him go?”
The fisherman went back the next day and called out to the fish, “Come back and grant my wife’s wish or she’ll make me sleep in the barn with the animals!”
The fish really was once a prince, and he had good manners. Knowing that it is noble to return a favor, he appeared and spoke to the man: “Go home. Your wife’s wish is already granted.”
He went home and as was promised, a new cottage stood in place of the little shack. This house was charming, and the fisherman was very pleased with their good fortune.
“I am so grateful that the fish did this for us! We are so lucky!” he told his wife.
The fisherman didn't want to. He liked their new home, and he was afraid the magic fish would cast a spell on him if he asked for more. However, he was more afraid of his wife’s anger than he was of the fish, so he went on out to the sea and called out to the fish. Again the fish prince was willing to grant the wife’s wish, and the fisherman returned home to a castle!
He crossed the drawbridge and was greeted by his wife. “Are you satisfied now, dear wife?” he asked timidly.
The wife was happy for one day; then she told her husband over dinner the next evening, “I’m not satisfied. Tomorrow, I want you to ask the fish to make me into a queen to rule over the region!”
The poor fisherman was trembling in his boots! “Surely this will bring bad luck to us,” he thought, as he walked reluctantly down the path that led to the sea. As he went along, he noticed that the sky grew dark and stormy, and the sea was turbulent. “A bad sign, a bad sign,” he moaned.
The request was made and granted again. He returned home to find soldiers guarding the castle and his wife wearing a gold crown as Queen. How he secretly wished they could be living in their poor little shack again!
Well, the greedy wife still wasn't satisfied. “I want to be Empress and rule over all the kingdoms!” she declared.
Do you think this wish was granted, too? Yes, it was! The husband obediently followed orders, and the fish agreed to make her Empress.
“What more could she possibly want?” worried the fisherman.
In the middle of the night. she was pacing back and forth. Suddenly she exclaimed, “I’ll be lord of the universe! I’ll make the sun rise and set when I want it to! Why not? No one will be more powerful than me!”
And so the husband set out once again to make the new request. As he came to the sea, though it was early morning, the sky grew dark as night, all purple and black. Thunder boomed, and lightning flashed. A violent storm created huge waves that sprayed the frightened fisherman as he spoke to the fish. “My wife now wants to be lord of the universe, oh prince!”
The fish replied, “Your wife will never be satisfied, even if I grant that request. She is too greedy. Go back to your shack now and help her appreciate what she has."
And so they lived the rest of their years in the poor little shack by the sea.
Moral
Greed is never satisfied.Questions
1. What happened in the beginning of the story that surprised the fisherman?
2. Why did the wife get mad at her husband when he told her about the talking fish?
3. Why did she keep asking her husband to go back to the fish?
4. What happened at the end of the story?
5. How was this wife different from the wife in "The Shoemaker and the Elves?"
Reflection Exercise
The fisherman's wife wasn’t grateful for what she had. She was very greedy. Gratitude is the opposite of greed. It’s important to remember to be grateful for what we have. What in your life are you grateful for? Take turns and tell your teacher and classmates.
From Discovering the Real Me, Book 4: The Heart of Goodness. For book orders click here.
Comments
Share your experiences by clicking on the "Discussion" box at the top of this page and then clicking on "+ New Post." Your comments will appear below.